Japan is expecting its famous cherry blossoms to come out early this year, according to Japan Meteorological Corporation’s first forecast in January 2019.
People are expecting to see the Yoshino Cherry or Somei Yoshino in mid-March, which will begin in Kochi Prefecture by March 18 then it will reach full bloom on March 25 in Kochi. The cherry blossom trees in Fukukuoa are projected to start flowering on March 20 and will be in full bloom after nine days.
Nagoya and Tokyo are expecting their trees to blossom on March 22 and Hiroshima on March 23. The flowers should bloom in Tokyo on March 29 and in Nagoya and Hiroshima on April 1. The forecast shows that the flowering and blooming will start four days earlier than usual in some areas like Tokyo.
In the other areas like Kagoshima, Osaka, Wakayama, and Kyoto, flowers are expected to appear before March ends and full bloom will approach early April. The prefectures up north like Hokkaido, Miyagi, and Aomori will have their cherry blossom trees to flower on a later date. It will start in April and May, and full blooms are anticipated through mid-April and early May.
Higher Temperature Means Early Cherry Blossoms
According to weather experts, the higher temperatures that began in October 2018 caused the early blooms in some areas. The flowering of the cherry trees depends on the patterns of the temperature between the fall shedding and new growth in the spring. Winter keeps the trees dormant until the temperature starts to rise again and the cycle restarts. So, the earlier blooming date was triggered by unusual increases in temperature from fall to now.
Based on the forecast, it has tracked around a thousand locations all over Japan according to the data from Somei Yoshino tree’s blooming characteristics. It is regularly updated for the tourists who want to see the peek of these pink treasures.
Meanwhile, this year is not the first time these cherry blossoms bloom earlier than expected. Last October, over 350 trees flowered six months earlier than normal because of the typhoons and unpredictable weather.
The flower of Somei Yoshino, Japan’s most favorite variety of cherry blossom is white with a hint of palest pink near the stem. They bloom and normally fall a week before its leaves come out, making the tree looks nearly white from top to bottom.
For the tourists who will be in Japan this month, Kawazu, a town in Kamo District, is famous for Kawazu-zakura, a type of cherry trees. It blooms around one month advanced compared to other cherry trees.
Recent Comments